


Highers and Lowers

by dsa_archivist, EA Karras (Anne)



Category: due South
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Series: Mountie Slayer Arc 2, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2000-10-30
Updated: 2000-10-30
Packaged: 2018-11-10 19:26:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11133189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dsa_archivist/pseuds/dsa_archivist, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anne/pseuds/EA%20Karras
Summary: The Battle....This story is a sequel toChaos Theory.





	Highers and Lowers

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Speranza, the archivist: this story was once archived at [Due South Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Due_South_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Due South Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/duesoutharchive).
    
    
    Title:  "Highers and Lowers" 
    Author: EA Karras and Magnes 
    Rating: R 
    Disclaimers: Alliance owns Due South. Magnes and Karras own tom and James
    Notes: Comes after Chaos Theory
    
    --- 
    
    Frannie fought to keep her car in line as she raced towards the 27th.
    Irene had promised to get the family as far from the city as she possibly
    could, telling her sister-in-law to get to her husband. She would have
    done the same if she had known where Ray had gone. 
    
    The car swerved as a street lamp fell. The back end of the car hit it,
    and she went forward, kept in the car only by her seatbelt.  
    Moments passed in darkness.  Finally Franny lifted her head, dazed but
    gradually aware that she was unhurt.  Actually, she was damned lucky
    not to have been killed. 
    
    People were panicking in the streets.  Traffic was beginning to build
    and there was a sense of doom about Chicago such as she had never felt.
    
    She snatched up her purse and her jacket.  She wasn't too far from the
    27th and her husband and even if there was nothing they could do against
    the darkness threatening the city, at least they would be together. 
        
    *** 
    
    Tom stepped onto the streets to the city, holding onto his son for support.
    "Is there anything I can do?" 
    
    Adolph shook his head. "I don't know...." He really didn't. "I'm sorry..."
    
    Tom moved forward with his son, not sure where they were going. He was
    sure they should get out of here as soon as possible. He froze, suddenly.
    Sophia?  In the rush of events and dangers, he had forgotten his infant
    daughter.  And James, as helpless as Sophia.  Moreso. 
    
    He looked back towards the prison. "No." 
    
    "Daddy?" 
    
    "God....no..." 
    
    "What is it?" Adolph gaped as Tom ran back towards the prison, stumbling
    as the ground shook again. The huge iron gates of the prison, relics
    from by-gone days, groaned and creaked with the sound of twisting metal.
    Tom looked up as the wall of iron came crashing down. 
    
    Tom screamed as Adolph guarded his daddy's body with his own. 
    
    Everything went black. 
    
    *** 
     
    The priest lounged drunkenly beside Spike in the bar. The Anarch had
    escaped when the initial quake hit, finally escaping the inane ramblings
    and pointless arguments of the two young Gangrel that weren't married
    but should have been.  
    
    Those days spent at Warfield's had probably been the most brutal of his
    existance and as night settled actoss the dying city, Spike decided to
    go join the anarchy and have a little fun.  He'd followed a likely-looking
    morsel of B-nagative into this bar and was just waiting for the right
    moment to spring for dinner. 
        
    He sneezed as his hair bothered him. 
    
    "Bless you," said the priest. 
    
    "Hey-" said the Anarch one moment before turning to dust. 
     
    *** 
    
    "Come on, Xander!  We have to get out of here!" 
    
    "What about Tom?" 
    
    Vecchio hauled the young ex Slayer along.  "If Grissom's got a brain,
    and I think he does, He's the hell out of here, too." 
    
    They emerged in the main yard of the prison.  All was eerily silent.
    
    Vecchio looked up and actually fell back a step.  Xander gasped. 
    
    D'Hoffern stood on the wall above, glaring down at them. 
    
    But it wasn't the blue-skinned demon that gave the Knight pause.  Xander
    followed his gaze to - 
    
    The sky. 
    
    It was cracked.  Literally.  A wide, jagged crack marred the sunset,
    black showing through beyond. 
    
    D"hoffern seemed to sense that he was not the source of their fear and
    frowned in displeasure.  Wyrm had robbed him of even this morsel of satisfaction.
    Well, time to change that. 
    
    He leaped down and landed lightly before Vecchio in the dusty courtyard.
    The detective faced him calmly.  He had this before.  He'd done it for
    over a year with the Iguanas.  The likes of D'Hoffern could not frighten
    him. 
    
    "Where's my son, D'Hoffern?" he demanded quietly, his tone all the more
    threatening for its softness.  "Where's Sophia Calhoun?" 
    
    D'Hoffern paced before him.  "They're safe.  For the time being." 
    
    "Y'know, even in the mob, we didn't do kids.  Anyone that used kids like
    that was the lowest of the low.  You know the type, the ones that have
    to reach up to touch the bottom?" 
    
    "Considering the state of the world, you'll forgive me for not caring
    about your disdain or your opinion of me.  I have a goal in mind and
    I will do anything to achieve that goal.  What are two more lives?" 
    
    Vecchio's dark eyes narrowed.  "I'd say they're the difference between
    victory and defeat if it's Kowalski that you want.  I don't think he'll
    take too kindly to anyone threatening his god child or his retainer's
    daughter." 
    
    Well, that was a hasty decision, but Stella had mentioned it...He was
    fairly certain Kowalski was Catholic. 
    
    "Ah, yes.  His retainer."  D'Hoffern resumed pacing, tapping his hands
    together.  "The statue in the basement.  Perhaps I'll pop back down and
    pay him a visit.  I wonder how many pieces he'll shatter into." 
    
    Vecchio cocked his head.  "Have you always been so petty?  I thought
    you had bigger fish to fry." 
    
    The demon grinned, knowing Vecchio was trying to distract him from exacting
    any revenge on Calhoun.  Oh, well, what did one Sabbat matter?  He chuckled
    as he backed away from the Knight. 
    
    "I do indeed.  You're a valuable player, Sir Vecchio.  Do try to avoid
    getting yourself killed over something as empty as a...Sabbat and his
    spawn." 
    
    "I want my son back!" hissed Vecchio, stepping foreward. 
    
    "Then come to Canada." 
    
    And he vanished. 
    
    "Let's get out of here.  Damn!" 
    
    They were driving out again when they found Tom and Adolph. 
    
    *** 
    
    "Breathe.  Keep breathing.  That's it.  Air in.  Now out.  Come on, Adolph.
    Do it for me.  Breathe." 
    
    The tiny demon was pinned to his chest, their faces touching.  Adolph
    had taken the brunt of the impact as the gate fell and now he was bleeding,
    his life ebbing away as he lay in his father's arms.  Tom held his hand,
    delictely traced the long, clawed fingers that once had almost taken
    his life. 
    
    "I love you.  You know that." 
    
    Adolph could only nod. 
    
    "I-" 
    
    He broke off as a car pulled up.  A car he recognized coming /out/ of
    Hell. 
    
    The Riv. 
    
    Suddenly Vecchio was shouting and Xander let out a yelp. 
    
    "Get the jack!" 
    
    Tom groaned as the metal gates were lifted off of him, but he didn't
    get up when the two men slid them out. "Adolph..." 
    
    The child wasn't moving. 
    
    "Adolph?" 
    
    "Tom, get up." Vecchio knelt down. "Can you get up?" 
    
    Tom wasn't hearing him. He touched Adolph's face, rolling the small demon
    onto his back, gently lowering him. "Adolph?" 
    
    "Daddy...." The thing finally rasped. "I'm sorry..." 
    
    *** 
    
    Ray looked at Joe, who was staring at the ticker tape constantly pouring
    out of a machine and frowning. "What?" 
    
    Joe pulled the mike towards him. "This one goes out to Higher Grissom.
    "Tears From Heaven", in memory of Adolph the rock troll." 
    
    "In memory?" Ray glared. "What happened?" 
    
    "You don't wanna know." 
    
    *** 
    
    Welsh stared at his wife, shocked. "Francesca. Why aren't you at..."
    His answer came in the form of the fifth quake of the day. He grabbed
    her as she stumbled and then he noticed the scrape on her forhead. "You're
    hurt..." 
    
    "Not badly. Harding, we have to get out of here." 
     
    He looked at her steadily, loving her more every moment, praying she
    would understand. 
    
    "I can't." 
    
    She returned his gaze evenly, frightened, proud, and amazed that he was
    hers. 
    
    "Then I can't either." 
    
    They both knew better than to argue, and he folded her into his embrace
    where she stood. 
    
    *** 
    
    Ray stared at Joe, willing the DJ to tell him. 
    
    "Stop staring at my neck, vamp boy," muttered Joe.  "The rock troll bit
    it.  Smashed like a bug to save his father." 
    
    /Oh, god, Tom.../ 
    
    *** 
    
    "It is done." 
    
    Fraser looked at the rose window of the Serpant.  "What is done?  What's
    happened?" 
    
    "The Seer has become the Higher.  He defied me and vengance is mine."
    
    /Sayeth the Lord/, thought the Mountie. 
    
    "He has learned a bitter lesson.  The lesson that the Children of Egypt
    and Israel learned many ages of man ago.  The lesson that God Almighty
    learned in milleniums past." 
    
    "What lesson?" demanded Fraser 
    
    "He has lost his son." 
    
    Shocked, Fraser stepped back.  /Adam?  Not Adam!  Oh, god, no, please!/
    
    "As have I, though the loss brings but one of us grief." 
    
    "Adolph?  Adolph is...dead?" 
    
    He turned to climb back out the shattered window when he realized the
    glass was whole again.  Fraser hesitated, alarmed and unsure of what
    to do.  There were no doors here.  He was about to try to smash the glass
    with his elbow when before his eyes the glass became mosaics on stone
    walls.  Candles flickered to life all around him. 
    
    He was trapped. 
    
    "Why?" growled Fraser to the image that had been the rose window. 
    
    "You would defy me, Slayer, and where you go, Prince Kowalski will follow.
    He will be mine." 
    
    "Never."
    
    *** 
    
    Turnbull skidded to a halt outside the sanctuary. 
    
    The walls were stone.  They could no longer get in. 
    
    "WYRM!" screamed the Seeker. 
    
    Silence answered. 
    
    "Oh, god, Constable..." 
    
    ***
    
    Tom felt a hand of his shoulder and shoved it away. "Where's my daughter?"
    he demanded, glaring at Vecchio. If they'd come sooner.... 
    
    "Cassie's with your dad," Vecchio hedged, knowing exactly whom Tom meant.
    Could he know? No. How could he? 
    
    The Seer scowled. "No. Sophia. Where's Sophia?" He gathered his son's
    body into his arms, not quite ready to let go just yet. He stood, staring
    at Xander, then at Vecchio. "Ray, where's my daughter?" 
    
    "D'Hoffren...." Xander was the one who finally answered. "Blue Boy has
    her. And Detective Vecchio's son." 
    
    Tom's gaze shot to the boy, and Xander squirmed. "You." 
    
    "Me?" Xander squeaked. "Me what?" 
    
    /Him...him, Tom...him.../ Faith. The sole Slayer not reincarnated through
    Nikko. Her death had occured long after the transfer of souls. Her voice
    was filled with betrayal, and he could feel her rage pulsing through
    him. "Him....him and her..." 
    
    The hate was almost pure. And it was perfect. 
    
    He barely even felt himself hand the body of his son to Vecchio. 
    
    "You...shit.." 
    
     Vecchio looked startled. He had never seen Tom like this. Not even when
    Slaying, he was always...nice. 
    
    Check that. He had seen Tom like this. With Winslow. 
    
    Oh fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. What had Xander done to get Tom this worked
    up? 
    
    Tom stepped towards the kid, suddenly smiling. "Faith left a present
    for you." He felt at his side for the knife he had found at Faith's body.
    
    Xander looked even more confused. "What....?" 
    
    Powerful hands seized him by the forearms.  Xander tried to struggle
    and found he could barely move.  He kicked out at Tom, suddenly desperate
    to be free.  Xander knew early on that he didn't stand a chance against
    the Moloch hybrid.  
    
    He grunted as he felt the knife bury in his stomach, deep but not deep
    enough to kill. He felt the former Slayer pull him into a deep kiss and
    his eyes widened as fear swept through him.  Faith.  He was kissing Faith...
    The cold chill started at his lips, and he was very aware of it when
    his body began to harden and freeze. 
        
    Vecchio stared, wide-eyed, not sure what to do. He'd known Tom was kinky,
    but... 
    
    Then he saw the ice, and knew... 
    
    "Tom! What're you doing?" 
        
    Tom pulled away with an unkind smile, and then his eyes changed. He could
    see the boy was still alive. Still aware. 
    
    At least enough to know his soul had just been stolen. 
        
    /For me...Tom....for me.../ 
    
    "For Faith," he whispered. And smashed the ice statue with three strikes.
    Vecchio let out a cry of horror.  The boy was still not dead, he knew.
    His consciousness in limbo. Free floating. 
    
    A fitting fate. 
    
    He stood, chest heaving for scant seconds, aware of Vecchio's eyes on
    him. Then he turned towards the Knight. "Let's go." 
    
    "I'm going to Canada." 
    
    "Good." 
    
    "Let's bury your son first, okay?" He was using a voice Tom recognised.
    The voice of a sane person trying to calm a lunatic. 
    
    Suddenly sobered, Tom nodded, looking at the demon in Vecchio's arms.
    "Yeah.  Let's." He felt cold. Very cold. His arms were shaking. Loss
    of adrenaline? God, he hoped so. 
    
    "Okay." 
    
    "Ray?" 
    
    "Yeah?" 
    
    "Thanks." 
    
    "Tom?" 
    
    "Yeah?" 
    
    "Why'd you kill Xander?" 
    
    "He killed Faith.  Or, rather, he didn't do anything to save her.  We're
    like the Knights of the City, Ray.  We're united.  He wanted to be a
    Slayer and he betrayed one of us."  Tom shook his head.  "We care for
    our own." 
    
    That he could understand.  Ray nodded, knowing there would be time for
    questions later.  Right now, he had a funeral to go to. 
    
    *** 
    
    Ultimately it was in the cemetary that Faith had died in where they buried
    Adolph. On the spot where she died.  Zuko found them there lingering
    over the fresh grave and he brought them to Warfield's compound. 
    
    "We need to get to Canada," Vecchio told Zuko, and the vampire nodded.
    
    "I'm going with you. I've got stakes in this. Pardon the pun." Zuko pulled
    a circular door off of the floor, and nodded for them to follow him into
    it. "Never understood why Lord Caine didn't just have them use this.
    They'd have gotten there a lot quicker." 
    
    Tom looked around. "Bazoar tunnels?" 
    
    "Warfield had one as a mate once. When it died, it left these." Zuko
    stared at three signs, "Canada", "Maryland", "Anywhere but Here". "We
    should take this one." He pointed to the latter. 
    
    "Why?" 
    
    "Sneak attack. Want Wyrn trying another one of his tricks?" 
    
    *** 
    
    Night came quickly in Wyrm's Necropolis. Ray left the radio station and
    made his way through the small city to the Sanctuary.  Nikko was standing
    over a sweaty and panting Turnbull.  He had been trying to break through
    the wall with a sledge hammer.  The stone was untouched.  
    
    "What're ya doin'?" 
        
    "Benton's inside..." Adam whispered, wrapping his arms around Ray's legs
    in an effort to keep him there. "Wyrm has him, Raymond."  
    
    "What?  Fraser?  Oh, geez..." 
    
    He controlled the urge - the /need/ to panic and concentrated.  Unless
    Wyrm was blocking his ability to sense Fraser, his Mountie was unharmed.
    So far. 
    
    "Aja?" 
    
    "Yes, Raymond?" 
    
    "What do the cards say now?" 
    
    "Change.  Great change.  To the city, the land, the people." 
    
    ""Which people, Aja?" 
    
    "All of them." 
    
    "Get me the dead book.  I need ta talk ta Wyrm." 
    
    *** 
    
    "What's your stake in this, Frank?"  Vecchio eyed the tunnel uneasily.
    Tom looked raring to go. 
    
    The Giovanni Elder made a face.  "Duh, Ray, your wife's my sister, your
    kid's my nephew, and Calhoun's kid just happens to be my lord's sister.
    I dunno.  Call me a sentimental old fool, but that does constitute family,
    doesn't it?"  He gave Ray a challanging look.  "And you do know about
    family, don't you?" 
    
    Vecchio gave him a shove, not entirely believing him.  There was more
    to it than that, but for now, it would do.  "Go already." 
    
    Frank chuckled.  Come on, kids." 
     
    *** 
    
    Ray took the book from Adam, closing his eyes and sitting against a tree
    in front of the Sanctuary. He could hear Nikko and Turnbull still working
    on the building. Nothing would budge. 
    
    He took in a breath, letting the images wash over him. 
    
    Chicago, crumbling. Turning to dust. Its people fleeing. Some staying,
    and dying. 
    
    Spike, sneezing and blowing apart. He smiled at that. 
     
    Adolph, dying to save his father. 
        
    Xander, frozen and shattered. Like a broken bottle. 
    
    Tom...evolved into something new. Something horrible. 
    
    Calhoun frozen like ice. 
    
    Sophia and Ray jr in the clutches of D'Hoffren. 
     
    Fraser sitting still and silent in the candle light.  Waiting for him.
    
    /Kowalski.../ 
    
    "Wyrm. Ya bastard. What've ya done?" 
    
    /Staked a claim in what is mine. What have you done?/ 
    
    "Let Fraser go. You can't think I'll help ya if ya hurt him." 
    
    /He's safe. Which is more than you are. Open your eyes./ 
    
    Reluctantly, he did. He could feel cold under him. Ice, melting. 
    
    *** 
     
    The tunnel was dark and moist and dripping with fluid Ray Vecchio did
    not want explained to him.  Despite Zuko's reassurances that they were
    safe here where space was folded by the ancient worms, Ray kept his gun
    drawn.  He did not want to be caught unaware. 
    
    Which was more than could be said for Grissom, it seemed.  The Moloch
    was humming to himself as they went and seriously getting on Ray's nerves.
    He said nothing, though.  The man had just buried a son, for God's sake,
    and if Tom wanted to sing the Halleluiah Chorus, painful as it would
    be, Ray knew he would not protest. 
    
    The way Tom sang, he'd be deaf first, anyway. 
        
    Tom followed Zuko and Vecchio down the corridors, his mind awhirl and
    still trying to come to terms with the rush of events.  His heart was
    aching for his children, his lover.  Cassie, at least, was safe, and
    Adam and Nikko were still with Fraser and Ray.  Sophia.  They had to
    save her and little Ray.  And James...he couldn't live without James.
    
    He purred idley to himself, the Moloch equivilant of a hum as he moved
    along behind the Knight and the Elder.  He came to a stop when he 
        suddenly heard a voice. 
    
    /Seer..../ 
    
    Wyrm?  Or... 
     
    He turned around, only to suddenly find himself in an ice field. The
    ground seemed to grow harder under him. 
        
    *** 
     
    Vecchio whirled around when the sound of the odd purring noises Tom 
        had been making for the past ten minutes stopped. He was gone. "Zuko!
    Frank..." 
    
    The vampire turned. "Where'd he go?" 
    
    *** 
    
    Adam stared at the spot where his son had been, and turned to the working
    pair. "Seeker!!"  
    
    Turnbull looked up, wondering if he should give up.  They were making
    no progress. 
    
    "Seeker!  Wyrm has my son!" 
    
    He looked to where Ray had been.  Gone.  Only the book remained. 
    
    *** 
    
    "Shit." 
    
    An ice field.  Shit.  He'd had more than enough of these things when
    they'd gone after Muldoon ages upon ages ago.  Ray stared at the blank,
    red-tinted landscape.  So far did the field stretch it was impossible
    to tell where land ended and the sky began.  The horizon was a blurr.
    
    /Walking in the sky, Frase./ 
    
    Stars twinkled above him, barely illuminating the unbroken miles of snow
    and ice. 
    
    He looked up, wondering how and why, when he felt it coming upon him.
    
    "Oh, god, not now.  Not here.  Louis...Please!" 
    
    Ray gritted his teeth as the flash descended.  It had been a while. 
    Not nearly long enough. 
    
    He didn't feel himself hit the ground, didn't notice the steam that rose
    as his burning hot body came into contact with the snow. 
    
    /Fraser turned in the field of snow and ice and looked up unafraid, fire
    light illuminating his face./ 
    
    /Lilith in all her demonic glory, attacking him./ 
    
    /Turnbull knelt in darkness, clutching the Necronomicon./ 
    
    /Fraser, laughing at Diefenbaker's antics amidst the sun and grass./
    
    /Calhoun screaming in grief./ 
    
    /Tom freezing him.  Him burning Tom./ 
    
    /Vecchio raising his gun to shoot at...his son?/ 
    
    /Nikko reaching out her hand to help him up./ 
    
    /Fraser touching his face, pulling him down for a kiss.../ 
    
    "Please," he wimpered. 
     
    *** 
    
    Tom stumbled across the ice field, freezing cold as the ice below him
    froze harder, strengthening. Covering ice creavases. He looked up from
    his feet, shocked to see a form in blue slowly appear in front of him.
    
    D'Hoffren. 
    
    "You son of a bitch.  You brought me here!" 
    
    "Careful, Mister Grissom. You may be higher, but you're new...you-" He
    saw the grin that Grissom was giving him, and stepped back. "What?" 
    
    "You're afraid of me." 
    
    "Hardly." 
    
    "Why?" Almost snake-like, Tom's hand reached out, and grabbed D'Hoffren's.
    Through the glove he couldn't freeze the demon.  
    
    But he could read his mind. 
        
    And he grinned wider at the image he saw there. 
     
    His power was waning as the Primals deserted him.  Prince Kowalski was
    not so far removed from this place that the demon felt safe.  And ever
    present, ever vigilant, Wyrm sub terra was lurking. 
        
    *** 
    
    /The Primals rising up, betraying D'Hoffren./ 
    
    Ray shuddered in his vision, the heat going past the ring, enveloping
    
        him. 
    
    /A field filled with corn...and vampires.../ 
    
    "God...Louis...he..." 
    
    *** 
    
    The Seeker approached the book, picking it up. "Is he inside?" 
    
    "I don't..." Aja started laying out the cards. "Oh dear..." 
    
    "What...?" 
    
    "Franklin Bay." 
     
    He held up the cards of land and water.  They both showed old maps of
    the Bay. 
    
    "I think I know where my son is." 
        
    *** 
    
    "We're there!  See?" 
    
    "There?"  Vecchio looked around in disbelief.  "Zuko, we're in a dead
    corn field!" 
    
    "Okay, so maybe we're not there," admitted the vampire. 
    
    "I don't believe you!  Get us back!  We need to be in Canada, not Kansas!"
    he hollered. 
    
    "Look, there's..." 
    
    "Crosses.  Uh...have they been...they have.  Crucified." 
    
    "Did they remake Sparticus in the midwest?" 
    
    "Let's...get outta here." 
    
    "Um, yeah, Vecchio, good idea." 
    
    They high tailed it. 
    
    *** 
    
    "You're afraid of me.  You're afraid of Ray and of Wyrm." 
    
    D'Hoffern smiled defiantly.  "Never.  And as for the prince, I believe
    he'll find my gift is losing the ability to moderate his temperature."
    
    Tom's dark eyes narrowed.  What would happen to Ray if the ring no longer
    worked?  "Then I'll just have to help him there, won't I?" 
    
    "Not if you want to see your daughter alive." 
    
    Tom smirked, "Careful, D'Hoffren. Before something comes out of the sky
    and lands a house on you." 
    
    "Aren't you worried I'll kill your little girl?" 
    
    Tom tightened his grip on the blue demon's shoulder. "You're not that
    stupid..." 
    
    "You'll never find her if you don't do exactly as I say." He made a gesture.
    Tom heard a sobbing cry. Sophia.  
    "So I've earned a stay of execution?" he asked, controlling the instict
    and need to find his infant daughter. 
    
    The demon frowned.  "In a manner of speaking.  Quite a brilliant move,
    putting yourselves into the book." 
    
    "It was the Seeker's idea.  I wouldn't mess with him, D'Hoffern.  He
    looks innocent enough but he's really sneaky.  He'll also argue anyone
    into a corner when he gets rolling." 
    
    "Don't think you can search my mind while you distract me, Seer.  Your
    child is safe for now.  She will remain so as long as you obey me." 
    
    "Then what?" asked Tom.  "Battle over, dust settled...then what?" 
    
    "When I am victorious, judgement will be passed." 
    
    "Who are you to judge me, demon?" 
    
    "I am the Primal Higher," was the smug reply. 
    
    Tom shifted, knowing in his heart this creature was afraid of him.  The
    Primal demons, the races to which they both belonged, were denzines of
    this planet, too, and no more fond of being lorded over than was Tom.
    D'Hoffern was wrong.  He was /a/ Primal Higher, not /The/ Primal Higher.
    
    Arrogance like that could get you killed. 
    
    Especially by people like Tom. 
    
    "And what about James?" 
    
    "What is your obsession with that filthy creature?" 
    
    "I'll overlook that insult for the sake of conversation but don't think
    I'll forget it, pal.  He's the father of two of my children and he means
    more to me than anything." 
    
    "Even Sophia?" 
    
    Silence. 
    
    "You'll do as I say." 
        
    *** 
    
    Vecchio glared at the wals of the tunnels. "If this thing falls apart
    around us, remind me to beat you senseless." He glared at Zuko, stomping
    through. 
    
    Zuko claimed they were halfway there. 
    
    God, he hoped so. 
    
    *** 
    
    Mina stood outside the Vecchio house.  It was deserted, all the windows
    dark.  Behind her in the Impala, Lucia and Jay waited.  There had been
    no word from Renfield or any of the other Slayers.  They had decided
    to check here, then the Consulate.  After that Mina had decided they
    would go to the Giovanni and seek refuge amidst the Clan of the Rose.
    Chicago was dead. 
    
    Was Renfield? 
    
    A shadowy motion caught her eye.  She gasped as a figure emerged from
    the the darkness and faced her in the moonlight.  He was tall and rangy
    with dirty blond hair that gleamed in the faint light. 
    
    "Gangrel," said the man. 
    
    Mina nodded, frightened.  Who was this?  What clan?  He was all in black,
    like... 
    
    Elder Calhoun. 
    
    He was Sabbat.  She had never seen another Sabbat besides Elder Calhoun
    and he never allowed his clan to interact with the people he was closest
    to.  The Sabbat had the same fierce look about him and the same devil-may-care
    attitude that Elder Calhoun had. 
    
    Said the Sabbat, "They've left." 
    
    "We just wanted to be sure." 
    
    "Have you seen Elder Calhoun?" 
    
    She shook her head.  "He...D'Hoffern...I think he..." 
    
    The Sabbat shook his head.  "He's not destroyed.  I would know.  I'm
    his second.  Calhoun is not gone but I can't pinpoint where he is.  He
    may have been forced underground again.  All I can tell is he's growing
    weak and he's having more and more difficulty keeping sane." 
    
    Mina felt a surge of hope and fear.  Perhaps Renfield had survived as
    well, and Tom.  "D'Hoffern wants to destroy him and anyone else that's
    had dealings with Wyrm.  That includes the Sabbat, according to Constable
    Frobisher." 
    
    "Who am I to argue with a Slayer?"  He looked over at the silent and
    wide-eyed teenagers in the Impala and shook his head.  "What of our Prince
    and our Lord?  And what of Calhoun's Moloch?" 
    
    "Tom was with Elder Calhoun and the Seeker when D'Hoffern struck.  Prince
    Kowalski and Lord Caine have gone to Canada." 
    
    He nodded, thinking.  "Our task here is done.  We're going to try to
    find our Elder.  If we can't find him when D'Hoffern tries to purge us,
    we'll go underground." 
    
    She nodded.  "We're going to the Giovanni." 
    
    He hesitated.  "Can I ask a sacrifice of you, Gangrel?  Will you link
    with me?  That way, if your people find him, or ours, we'll be able to
    communicate?  The Giovanni may not offer you sanctuary if you do." 
    
    She had seen their hatred for the Sabbat first-hand in the way they treated
    her former Elder.  Mina extended her wrist.  "It's no sacrifice." 
    
    "You can't drink of me.  My blood is poison." 
    
    "I know.  My name is Mina." 
    
    "Call me Von." 
    
    "Von?"  It was an odd name. 
    
    She sensed he was smiling.  "Easier on the tongue than Skyler Johannes
    Vonderhausen." 
    
    Were all Sabbat wise-alecks? 
    
    *** 
    
    The city continued to crumble around them. Welsh and Frannie sat in his
    office floor, holding eachother tight. Of all the policemen in the 27th,
    only the Duck Boys had stayed behind.  There was little they could do,
    but they would remain by their guns to the end. 
    
    Or the beginning. 
        
    *** 
    
    He slowly came around on the icefield. The ground froze and melted underneath
    him, as if it couldn't decide. Opening his eyes, he saw the unexpected
    but welcome sight of Tom Grissom hovering over him. "What...?" 
    
    "Get up..." Tom said, loudly. His voice sounded gravely. He held an ungloved
    hand out for Ray to take.  Slowly the Caanite Prince unwound himself
    from the pile he'd fallen into and reached for Tom's hand, asking, 
    
    "How'd ya...where'd ya...what's..." 
    
    He was completely unprepared for the icey touch and let out a yelp of
    surprise, falling back into the slushy snow. 
    
    "Hey!" 
    
    "Prince Kowalski, I've only got one thing to say to you," said Tom. 
    
    "Huh?" 
    
    His voice dropped to a whisper.  "We've got to make this look really
    good." 
    
    And the Primal Higher attacked the Blind Seer. 
        
    *** 
    
    Aja put down the Sacrifice card. Tom and Ray, the two men locked in battle.
    Burning and freezing eachother. 
    
    Impulsively, the ancient took all the cards and threw them into the air.
    Nikko and Dief kept a respectful distance.  Turnbull, exhausted, slept
    in the shadow of the Sanctuary.  On the portable radio Joe was playing
    'I'm Still Standing.' 
    
    Aja looked around, paying attention only to the cards that landed picture
    side up. 
    
    Tom and Ray as the Sacrifice, the Prince, the Seer, Fire, Water, lay
    together.  The Queen lay close by them, as did the alpha card, Marcus
    Ellery. 
    
    The Soldier and the Sanitarium and Hell. 
    
    Between them, the Spiritus Sanctii, D'Hoffern, Wyrm, the Rose Emperor,
    the Knight. 
    
    He turned around.  On the grass behind him was the Land and Death and
    the Sun covering the card of the People.  The Hermit and the Childer
    lay near that pile.  So did The Lovers and the Tower. 
    
    Off to the left, Justice. 
    
    Off to the right, the Slayer atop the Sanctuary. 
    
    And right at his feet, the cards for all the people with him now, including
    the one of Robert Fraser, the Jedi. 
    
    Caine wished he could see the old Slayer with his own eyes.  Perhaps
    Joe, who seemed to be trapped on some weird plane of existance, could
    help.  He sighed. 
    
    "What is it?" Nikko asked quietly of her younger brother. 
    
    "I did this on impulse and it's the best reading I've ever gotten.  I
    need to go speak to Joe." 
    
    She rose, fixing her too-short dress.  "I'll come with you.  Diefenbaker,
    stay with the Seeker." 
    
    The three-year old glanced at her, wondering whose company she really
    wanted. 
    
    *** 
    
    The two of them rolled in the snow, fighting and fighting hard. They
    were well matched, Tom with his animal reflexes and Ray with his instinct
    and years of working on the streets.  Fire and Ice.  They could barely
    appraoch each other because they kept cancelling one another out.  Ray
    got Tom pinned in the snow, and growled. "You wanna explain what the
    hell's goin' on?" 
    
    Tom just grinned up at him, and delivered a shove that sent Ray reeling.
    Tom yelped as his skin touched Ray's, and stared at his palms. Burns.
    Ray in turn stared at his shoulders. 
    
    Frozen solid. 
    
    "Make it look good," Tom whispered again as the ground started to rumble.
    "Really good." 
    
    Ray heard a hissing scream, and looked up as the ground began to break
    apart nearby.  Giant, snake-like tendrils burst out of the earth.  The
    noise was deafening, the smell was disgusting, and Wyrm raised his pale
    head into the sky. 
    
    Even D'Hoffren looked taken aback. 
    
    Ray felt Tom's lips near his ear, and jumped as the cold lips touched
    his cheek. "You're on," Tom said, and smiled.  "I need your ring." 
    
    "You want me to ignight?" 
    
    Tom just nodded. 
    
    That was his cue. 
    
    Ray lashed out with his foot, kicking Tom in the midriff and doubling
    him over.  He swept Tom's feet from beneath him and the psychic landed
    hard on the ice. 
    
    "Crevass good?" whispered Ray. 
    
    "Fine." 
        
    He had something that needed to be done. Now.  So when Ray kicked him
    into the crevass, he rolled with it. 
    
    *** 
    
    Fraser started as the candles snuffed out. "Oh dear..." No flames met
    no air. Bad omens. 
    
    He felt very cold. Colder than he should. Like someone was reaching icey
    arms around him and trying to pull. 
    
    *** 
    
    "Come on, Benton, stop fighting me," whispered Tom.  He hadn't squeezed
    through ice and snow and finally burrowed his way to the surface to fight
    one reluctant Mountie. 
    
    *** 
        
    The passage had turned slick, and icey as they neared the exit. As if
    something had come down it, freezing everything in it's path. Even Zuko
    looked disturbed as they continually lost their balance in the ice. 
    
    *** 
    
    He knealt in the snow, feeling it perfectly through the knees of his
    pants. He shivered, drawing a circle in the snow with a gloved hand,
    expertly chanting as he went. "Invokai Primali. Bring us light. The souls.
    The power...lift the veil..." he muttered, as he concentrated on doing
    two spells at once. He felt heavy and pained as he worked. 
    
    As the spells worked. 
    
    A heavy thud near him, and he barely looked up, gesturing wildly for
    Fraser to go to Ray's aid. 
    
    He pulled the ring out of his pocket, marveling at Ray's unquestioning
    trust. 
    
    Any minute now he'd go up. 
    
    He continued chanting, feeling waves of dizziness envelope him. 
    
    *** 
    
    "Oh my God..." Mina peered out the window, staring up at the darkened
    sun. Something was happening. Something.... 
    
    Something very bad. 
    
    "Jay!! Jay, step on the gas. Get us to shelter! Hurry!!" 
    
    Whatever was blocking the sun was coming apart. 
     
    *** 
    
    They were almost there, the ten remaining Spiritus Sanctii.  Almost upon
    the vampire prince that would free them.  Millions of souls stirred in
    hope, longing, their faint, ghostly forms whispering across the expanse
    of wilderness. 
        
    *** 
    
    Joe was quickly trying to translate what Fraser Sr. was telling him to
    tell Aja, when the ticker machine suddenly made a strange noise and exploded.
    He stared at the reems of tape on the floor, and sighed. "I'm not cleaning
    that up." 
    
    Nikko knealt down, not even trying to adjust her dress, and looked at
    the first tape. "It's like fortune cookie paper." 
    
    Adam didn't even want to question how a girl born just a week ago, could
    even know what a fortune cookie was. He didn't care. "What does it say?"
    
    "Paper beats scissors, ice beats fire, fire beats Worms." 
    
    *** 
    
    Tom opened his eyes as he felt the darkness enter him. The souls. All
    that had died to serve Wyrm, all those who had fought Wyrm and lost.
    He felt rage. He felt fear. 
    
    He felt good. 
    
    And it also felt bad. 
    
    He shivered again, long and hard. Fell back on the ice, trying desperately
    to stay awake as the darkness that had kept the rest of the world in
    desolation entered him on it's way back to hell. 
    
    His body acting as a living hellmouth, his shivers turned to convulsiions
    in the snow. His cheeks were reddening with frost bite. He was so cold...
    
    "James..." 
    
    *** 
     
    Alone in darkness.  He had been here before and he was not frightened
    of that.  Indeed, none of the fear he felt was for himself despite the
    fact that he was completely helpless.  His fear was reserved for those
    that he loved best. 
    
    He was aware.  He knew when people had been near him.  Knew that his
    lover had been forced to leave him in this hellish state.  Time ceased
    to have meaning as his thoughts froze as solidly as his body.  Gradually
    his ability to think slowed until conscious thought evaporated and all
    that was left was the cold and the unselfish fear. 
    
    Then the flash hit and fear was replaced by agony that had no outlet.
    
    He saw the images that Prince Kowalski saw.  Tom, Nikko...where was Sophia?
    
    The Spiritus Sanctii.  They were going for Kowalski.  There was no way
    to warn him and he didn't recognize them for what they were. 
    
    Why did he see himself screaming?  At least there was a hope he would
    be freed of this icey damnation. 
    
    /Tom.../ 
    
    He tried to give more, but he was too weak.  Too cold.  Too far removed
    from all he held dear. 
    
    *** 
        
    Fraser ran towards the only light he saw on the field of snow and ice.
    He knew it was dangerous .  He knew he could fall into a crevass and
    die.  Nothing seemed to matter, though, except reaching that light. 
    Snow crunched loudly at every step, it was freezing cold and he didn't
    notice.  All he saw was the huge sadowy figure that blocked out the stars,
    illuminated from below by fire light. 
    
    Only, he knew it wasn't a fire. 
    
    It was Ray.  He glowed clear and bright, burning as hot as the Inferno.
    
    He knew he should be afraid. He knew he should stay back. 
    
    But he was not afraid. And he could not stay back. 
    
    Wyrm's flesh burned without even touching Ray. The thing was screaming,
    it's anguished, tortured shrieks filling the world. Making the ground
    tremble. 
    
    Wyrm was weakening. Why? 
    
    As the thing slowly burned and slowly was beaten back, Fraser saw why.
    
    The sky. The sun was beginning to uncover. The souls that had been trapped
    by the Wyrm were free...were gone. 
    
    And so was Wyrm's power. 
    
    In his heart, he knew that Wyrm was not dying. Only being forced back
    into his prison. That Wyrm would stay in his prison if the proper warden
    for keeping him there could be found.  
    And Benton Fraser was glad. 
    
    As the serphant bent beneath the onslaught, he saw the smug look on D'Hoffren's
    face. 
    
    And so did Ray. 
    
    *** 
    
    He was dying. He felt like he was being torn apart from the inside out,
    blood ran heavily from his nose, trickled from his ears. It was too much.
    
    He screamed, a piercing noise that hit the night. 
     
    *** 
    
    A smile split the Higher's face as his enemies were vanquished for him.
    
    And then the tables were turned on him. 
    
    Wyrm was falling back in agony at Ray's attack when the Caanite suddenly
    turned his attentions to D'Hoffern. 
    
    "Y'know what, Smurfy?  All we wanted was a little help.  If ya hadn't
    fucked with my friends, things would've been plenty different.  Too bad
    fer you, pal!" 
    
    Then D'Hoffern felt it.  The power of the Primals slipping away.  Leaving
    him.  Going to... 
    
    The Seer. 
    
    "YOU!" bellowed D'Hoffern.  "Betrayer!" 
    
    Ray chuckled despite the situation.  He was laughing AT the demon and
    D'Hoffern knew it.  Lowering an imperious finger at Ray, D'Hoffern murmured
    a spell of destruction. 
    
    Ray was too far away to dodge.  Steam rose up in great banks all around
    him as centuries of ice and snow melted and thus he did not see Fraser
    until suddenly D'Hoffern was smashed to the ground by the Mountie.  The
    spell went wild, splintering into countless shards to fall like so many
    snowflakes. 
    
    "Fraser!" screamed Ray, running full tilt towards the Primal Higher.
    "Move!" 
    
    To his relief, Fraser ran.  D'Hoffern was about to repeat the spell and
    kill the Mounted Slayer when Ray was upon him. 
    
    A Caanite Prince.  The blind Seer.  Despised by the sun.  With the power
    of a Knight. 
    
    He sank his fangs into D'Hoffern's neck, not caring what happened to
    him as the sun fought to emerge from behind the wall of despair blocking
    it from the world.  He was burning hot, holding the demon with bare hands
    that made the blue flesh bubble and sear at his touch.  The Primal's
    blood boiled in his mouth, against his lips.  He could smell burning
    skin and hair and cloth, feel muscle and bone melt, feel the sun burn
    him despite his own heat. 
    
    A scream.  An unholy scream.  D'Hoffern, screaming even as Wyrm screamed,
    in fury and pain and frustration as the world was snatched away from
    his grasp once again. 
    
    "RAY!" 
    
    Fraser. 
    
    He looked up.  Something erupted out of the ice. 
    
    Lilith. 
     
    He watched her, feeling D'Hoffren die beneath him. 
     
    *** 
    
    D'Hoffern struggled in futile despair as he felt himself losing a battle
    for the first time.  Losing to the lowest of the low.  A mere childe
    of a vampire.  A servant of his enemy.  Death did not hurt quite as much
    as losing to Wyrm.  Heard Wyrm's screams as he was fought the pull back
    into his earthen prison. It was faint consolation that while he did not
    win, neither did the serphant he despised so. 
    
    He saw his own expression reflected in Kowalski's red glasses.  His skin
    was charred, his eyes dead. 
    
    Not a fitting end. 
    
    He would have to work on it next time. 
    
    *** 
    
    Ray stood on shaky legs, stepping away from the charred corpse as he
    stared down the former Queen. 
        
    She broke first, not from his gaze, but from stark raving fear as she
    saw something behind him. 
    
    He whirled on his heels, staring at the monstrosities circling the two
    of them. He knew he was sending up banks of steam, but there...didn't
    behave like steam.  They moved under their own power, never quite still
    enough to focus on.  With the power of millions of voices, they spoke.
    
    "You..." 
    
    "Me?" His voice was hoarse, his lips stained blue with D'Hoffren's blood.
    
    "He promised us. Help us. Release us..." 
    
    The Spiritus Sanctii. Fraser had told him about them. Who had promised
    them something? Wyrm? 
    
    And then he remembered Tom's freezing cold touch. 
    
    "Tom? Did he promise you this?" 
    
    "Yes." The ground rumbled as they spoke. "You. Only you." 
    
    *** 
     
    "...expect patches of fog and the odd wall of steam.  that's enough of
    that weather crap.  This is going out to our own Prince Kowalski.  A
    classic from the 50's, here's, 'Only You'." 
    
    *** 
        
    Finally the movement stopped. The pain ebbed. He collapsed onto the ice
    as the convulsions ceased, feeling the bloody surface beneath him. He
    coughed, trying to get to his feet. 
    
    He stumbled, and he cried out as he fell back to the ground. Too much.
    It had been too much. 
    
    "Get up." A voice ordered him, staring down at him. "Tom. Get up, /now/."
    
    Alex? Was he hallucinating? Or was this another trick? 
    
    "Look at me. Fucking Moloch half breed. Get up." He raised his head,
    the Enthos Alex hovering on the snow. It couldn't be real. Could it?
    
    "I made a deal for this. You let that bastard Prince kill me. Get up!"
    The Enthos roared. 
    
    He struggled to his feet, feeling his own fangs pop. He stared at the
    Enthos, and growled. The Sanctii powers were gone. Used up in the 'battle'
    with Ray. 
    
    But he knew now what the Hienic and Serpentine powers had been for. Why
    Adolph had insisted. 
    
    He leapt at the Enthos, feeling a laugh burble up. 
    
    It was almost a hyena's laugh. 
    
    *** 
     
    Finally, a light at the end of this damned cold, slippery, miserable
    tunnel.  Vecchio trudged behind Zuko, thinking an endless variety of
    evil thoughts at the Giovanni Elder.  He didn't care where the hell they
    ended up, now.  He was never going to allow Zuko to navigate again. 
    
    It was night when they emerged from the tunnel, but strangely lit.  It
    was as if a huge fire burned across the expanse of snow and ice. 
    
    "What the...?" wondered Zuko. 
    
    "Ohmygod, Stan!" 
    
    Vecchio stared wide eyed as the Sanctii surrounded Kowalski. He 
        looked to Zuko for help. "What do we do? What can we do?" 
     
    "Save Fraser's ass," suggested Zuko, pointing. 
    
    "What?" 
        
    "Lilith." 
    
    He saw her.  Hideously beautiful was she, once Queen of the Vampires,
    now slave to the Wyrm that filled the sky and tried to defy the sun.
    
    She was going after Fraser. 
    
    "BENNY!" 
    
    *** 
    
    Ray stared at the shifting, shimmering whisps that were the captive souls
    of the Holocost.  "Tell me how I can help.  Please." 
    
    "Destroy our forms.  Free us.  Let us go." 
    
    "How?" 
    
    "Fire to ice." 
    
    "I - FRASER!" 
    
    He screamed as he saw Lilith, desperate for a barganing chip, lash out
    with her whip and capture the Slayer where he stood on the fringe of
    the battle field.  She yanked him into the circle of Spiritus Sanctii.
    
    "Not him!" cried the Spiritus of Dachau.  "Not him!" 
    
    Ray screamed again, horrorfied, but Fraser was pulled through the forms
    of the Spiritus unhurt.  His arms were pinned by the whip and he landed
    heavily in the snow. 
    
    ***
    
    While the fight with Ray had been well matched, the fight with Alex just
    felt...stupid. Like two children slapping at eachother. Tom yelped as
    a leathery claw attempted to insert it's self in his stomach, and grimaced
    as Alex shouted when his own claws gouged at him. 
    
    Finally, they stopped. Stared at each other, panting with the exertion.
    "At least I have the satisfaction of knowing you killed the man you love,"
    Alex sneered, hissing. "Poor little Sabbat. Will you go running back
    to Cecil now?" 
    
    "Guess again, you jerk," Tom growled, coming at Alex. 
    
    He was unprepared for the wing to hit him in the head. 
    
    *** 
    
    Something was wrong with Tom. Even in his frozen state, he could feel
    it. There was fear. There was pain. Externally, he'd healed from having
    Sophia, and then Nikko. H hadn't been quite sure about interally. What
    if something was wrong? 
    
    *** 
    
    The Sanctii themselves protected Fraser. Launching themselves at the
    Queen turned servant, they wrapped themselves around him. 
    
    Her frustrated screams were music to their ears. 
    
    *** 
    
    "Come on!" Vecchio ordered Zuko.  He charged through the snow with clumsy
    strides, not sure what they could do once they reached the battle but
    damned if he was going to let that skinny punk and his best friend fight
    alone.  Even as they made their way there, Kowalski turned on the Queen.
    
    Zuko slowly came to a halt, staring at Lilith.  Kowalski and Fraser had
    faced down THAT thing? 
    
    Were they nuts? 
    
    Vecchio sure was.  Hell, he was running even faster. 
    
    "Shit," muttered the Giovanni, and followed. 
    
    *** 
    
    Here was the vision that had been plaguing him for years.  A figure prone
    in the snow.  A battle with Lilith for that person.  Fraser against a
    spangled sky.  Dawn was coming, rivaling his light.  The first dawn since...when?
    
    "Release me or your Soul dies!" 
    
    Ray smiled faintly, sure of himself.  "He can't die, Lilith." 
    
    "Watch!" hissed the queen, raising one clawed hand. 
    
    "I am." 
    
    Startled, she glanced down. 
    
    The whip shattered as Fraser lunged up at her, burying a stake deep into
    her heart. 
    
    *** 
    
    "This is Joe D with a play-by-play update and dedication.  Well, our
    news reel is out but I have it from an excellent five thousand and three-year
    old source that our boys in the Bay they call Franklyn are winning. 
    This is a good thing, listeners, so make happy.  I'm making a long-distance
    dedication in absentia.  This is going out from James to Lilith, Elton
    John's 'I'm Still Standing'." 
    
    *** 
    
    Tom fell to the ice and snow, falling back in the slick pool of his own
    blood.  He felt claws dig into his flesh and couldn't summon the energy
    to scream. It was as if the blow to the head had sapped him of all his
    energy. Or the events of the past month had caught up to him all at once.
    
    He could barely move. 
    
    /Tom....get up..../ 
    
    "James....?" 
    
    *** 
    
    Ray watched as Fraser lowered the dark queen's body to the icey snow,
    and looked up at the Sanctii. "Thank you...." 
    
    "Yessss...." 
    
    "How do I help you?" 
    
    "Destroy us...." 
    
    "I..." Ray hesitated, reaching for the whispy tendrils.  "I don't know
    how." 
    
    "Let us..." 
    
    Colder than death even to his heat.  Icey fingers wrapped around his
    wrist, took his warmth.  He heard voices cry out as the misty whiteness
    began to dissipate, saw pale faces rush before him and he felt a joyous
    song rise up in his own soul as millions of trapped souls were freed
    from this earth.  He reached out with his other hand.  Let them take
    his warmth.  Let them take him. The joy was overwhelming.  Oh, god, if
    only he could cry... 
    
    *** 
    
    Calhoun could feel something serisously wrong with Tom. Attacked. He
    was being attacked. Something was killing him, or trying to. Using his
    own body against him.  
    
        It wasn't fair. He'd suffered so much.... 
    
    Something wet touched his cheek. Water? What.... 
    
    He could move his finger.  It hurt beyond telling. 
     
    Hope.  Raw, unfettered, pure hope swelled within him.  Gave him focus.
    Frozen thoughts would soon give way to ideas and then he'd be able to
    summon Von... 
    
    *** 
    
        Wyrm felt coldness envelope him and roared. The ground shook as his
    new wardens made themselves known.  The goodness he had tried so often
    to destroy was returned.  The earth awaited him again. 
    
    *** 
    
    Before Vecchio could get to Fraser and Ray, he felt Zuko tug at his sleeve.
    He whirled around. "What???" 
    
    He followed Zuko's gaze to an Enthos hovering over a prone body. 
    
    "Shit!  That's Tom!" 
    
    That sounded like a change of direction if ever Zuko had heard one. 
    What the hell.  Not like he'd gotten /anywhere/ today. 
    
    Vecchio ran towards the Enthos, gun pulled. "Down! On the ground now!"
    He shouted. He caught Zuko's eye as the vampire leaned down next to Grissom.
    There was way too much blood for his taste. "Frank?" 
    
    "He's freezing." 
    
    "Get him warned up then." 
     
    Zuko shot him a look, "Oh. Yeah, that'll work..." 
    
    "If he's in shock, he needs to be warmed up.  Bring him over by Stan."
    
    The Enthos was glaring daggers at Vecchio.  The Knight glared right back.
    
    "Who are you?" he demanded. 
    
    "Alex Vargas," hissed the demon defiantly. 
    
    He shook his head.  "The one Stanley Kowalski killed.  Come back for
    another go at it, jerk?  What, you didn't get it right the first time?"
    
    The Enthos overestimated himself.  He lunged. 
    
    Ray Vecchio shot him dead again before he made it to his feet. 
    
    *** 
    
    The freezing cold tendrils actually felt good against his molten-hot
    skin.  Ray relaxed into the process, reveling in the joy, knowing Wyrm
    was being driven back to his prison.  Faces swirled past him, singing
    a song that had no words. 
    
    It was like the time he had spoken to Caine's thirteen children, welcoming
    him as their brother. 
    
    Chelmno.  Why did he think this was important? 
    
    "Thank him....thank him...he is forgiven...thank him..." 
    
    He received images of dark hair and ice-blue eyes.  Jamey. 
    
    *** 
    
    Fraser stood on the edge of the battle ground.  Beyond Ray, Wyrm was
    being defeated.  The irony struck him full force.  Without his evil,
    the goodness that held him fast beneath the earth could not exist.  It
    was almost laughable. 
    
    Then he heard footsteps an instant before a shot rang out.  He whirled
    as Zuko came running across the field towards him, carrying something...someone...
    
    Tom. 
    
    He rushed to meet Zuko, taking in the sight of the unusually pale Seer.
    "What happened?" He could already guess part of it. Tom was not exactly
    dressed for the weather, and he had about as much excess body fat as
    Ray.  Hypothermia, speeded by his physical condition, was already setting
    in. 
    
    "Found an Enthos trying to play Easter bunny," Zuko smirked, adjusting
    Tom in his arms. The man barely even groaned. "He's freezing. Is Kowalski
    still burning?" 
    
    "Er....I believe so..." He looked towards Ray. The fire vampire was kneeling
    on the snow, eyes closed tight. 
    
    *** 
    
    Turnbull loaded the sled with gear, and then lifted Dief into the seat,
    packing blankets around the boy. He looked to Aja. "I'll be back as soon
    as I can. Stay in the station until you hear from me," He glanced towards
    the brownstone, suddenly wrinkling his nose. "Try to keep some distance
    between your sister and the DJ." 
    
    Aja smiled, nodding, knowing he didn't stand a chance of doing that.
    
    *** 
     
    He watched the building from a distance, waiting patiently as he had
    waited since he parted from the Gangrel vampires.  He knew the Serpentine
    was D'Hoffern's closest equivalent to a second, at least here in the
    ruins of Chicago, so if anyone knew where his elder might be, it was
    this creature.  This building was where D'Hoffern had set up camp once
    he outgrew Warfield's and he knew Sinclair had been around his elder
    at one point, up to three days ago he could smell calhoun upon his clothes.
    He'd been following the Serpentine for days, waiting for his chance.
    
    It helped that he was hungry.  Not even a Primal would be able to mistake
    that.  The snake talked or he was lunch. 
    
    Hell, he was lunch anyway. 
    
    Von wanted Calhoun back.  Now.  The clan followed him now, but he wasn't
    the leader Calhoun was and he was younger than some of the Sabbat he
    lead.  He had more trouble with that fact than his clan did. 
    
    Sinclair appeared in a window.  Idiot.  He seemed to be carrying something
    in his arms, something wrapped in a blanket that didn't appear overly
    fond of him.  Von frowned, adjusting his binoculars.  A baby?  Hell.
    
    Okay.  So the snake had a kid.  So had a lot of people who were now dead
    because D'Hoffern and Wyrm decided the Earth would make a good battlefield.
    No way was the presence of a kid going to change his plan.  Not yet,
    anyway.  Besides, what was he doing bringing a baby to D'Hoffern's headquarters?
    
    He put the binoculars away.  Time to move out. 
        
    *** 
    
    "This one goes out to the nosey bastard they call The Seeker. "Sweet
    Sixteen"'s the tune, get my drift?" 
    
    *** 
    
    Fraser pulled off his wool coat, wrapping it around Tom's thin frame.
    The tremors in the Seer's body were getting worse by the minute. He rubbed
    Tom's hands between his, hoping Ray came out of his trance soon.  
    
    "We've got to get him to shelter and get him warm"  He looked again as
    Ray Vecchio trudged towards them, then back at his lover still lost in
    some euphoric state.  Tom needed his attention now.  Ray had proven more
    than capable of caring for himself and much as Fraser was worried, Tom
    was in worser shape. 
    
    "What about Stanley?" 
    
    "I strongly suggest you refrain from calling him that, Frank.  He'll
    come to when he's ready." 
    
    "What is he doing?" wondered the vampire. 
    
    Fraser shrugged.  "As far as I can tell, he's freeing the Spiritus Sanctii
    who in turn are restraining Wyrm.  He has to hurry, though.  If the sun
    hits him..." 
    
    "Shit.  Forgot about that." 
    
    Fraser looked down as a thought occurred to him and from Tom's finger
    he pulled the ring of fire. 
    
    He could only pray it would work.  Ray needed to go underground.  He'd
    never done it before and given that he was claustrophobic Fraser didn't
    hold out much hope that he would find it as pleasant an experience as
    Jamey. Perhaps Frank, charged by Warfield with watching out for the Caanite
    prince, could help. 
    
    *** 
    
    It served as a huge boost to his ego that he took Sinclair completely
    by surprise. 
    
    One minute the snake demon was taking a shower, the next he was flat
    on his back in a steam-filled bathroom with close to two hundered undead
    pounds on his chest. 
    
    "Fucking snake!" growled Von.  "Who sold out my elder?" 
    
    Sinclair gaped for a moment, remembering this smell. 
    
    "Sabbat!" 
    
    "No kidding, you filth!  Who sold them out?  Where's my elder?  Where
    is James Calhoun?" 
    
    "He - I - " 
    
    "You fuck!  You tipped D'Hoffern off, didn't you?  You boot licker!"
    he took out his anger on the snake, banging his head on the floor for
    good measure.  "Where is my elder?" 
    
    "I - I don't know!  D'Hoffern went to Hell.  I haven't seen him since!"
    
    "Guess what?  You'll never see him again." 
    
    Sinclair let out a hiss.  He tried to fight, but the Sabbat were the
    clannless clan and theirs was an endless fight for survival.  The serpantine
    didn't stand a chance. 
    
    Minutes later, Von rose, black blood staining his lips.  The baby was
    wailing.  Hell.  
    
    Baby?  Strike that.  Make that /babies/. 
        
    He was not prepared for what he saw, what he smelt. 
    
    The one child, the boy, was human. 
    
    The other was a ghoulite.  A hybrid. 
    
    A Sabbat, Moloch and Human hybrid. 
    
    She looked up at him and he knew those eyes instantly. 
    
    "James, you dog, what have you been up to?" 
    
    He sighed, picking up each child in turn. This required a change in plans.
    Dammit. He hated that. 
    
    *** 
    
    Ray slowly opened his eyes, taking in the sight before him. It did much
    to break the euphoria he felt. Fraser noticed him, and slid the ring
    across the ice. To Ray's shock, it worked again. Not D'Hoffren's work.
    Who's? 
    
    "Ray," Fraser called, beckoning him. "We need you." 
    
    He stumbled his way over, blinking at Tom's near frozen form. "What happened?"
    
    "Frost bite, hypothermia. Who knows what the hell else," Zuko supplied.
    "He'd not waking up." 
    
    "He's in shock," Fraser stated, wrapping Tom tighter. "We need to get
    him to shelter. All of us. We won't last the day if we don't." He looked
    up at the sky. "Ray." 
    
    He staggered to his feet, breaking free of the ice that had formed around
    his legs. "What?" 
    
    "You need to get underground. Now."  
    
    Ray turned and looked not at the rising sun, but to where the ice had
    covered Wyrm again.  He and the serphant were going to have to have a
    talk soon. 
    
    "What's with Tom Cat?" Ray asked again, pretending he hadn't heard any
    of it. 
    
    "He has hypothermia and the beginning of frost bite." 
    
    "Lemme take him, Frase." 
    
    "Ray, the sun!" argued the Slayer. 
    
    "Fraser, he'll buy it!  Give him to me, I'll get underground but I can
    still keep him warm." 
    
    The Mountie hesitated.  Ray was quite right.  And having something to
    concentrate on other than his claustrophobia would be a tremendous help.
    
    "If you can get some water into him, do it.  We'll call the moment the
    sun goes down." 
    
    "I love you," breathed Ray. 
    
    Fraser ignored their audience long enough to crush Ray to him in a passionate
    kiss that almost left Ray dizzy. 
    
    "You, too," mumbled Ray.  "Cool." 
    
    "Here."  Frank gave him Tom's limp form.  "If something developes, we'll
    let you know.  We're linked.  It won't be hard.  Now go." 
    
    Ray closed his eyes as his body instintively sunk into the ground, taking
    Tom with him.  Moments later, they were in darkness and warmth. A cave
    had formed around them, formed in minutes by the heat of his body, and
    he settled back, holding Tom close. 
    
    The shivers slowly began to abate, but he could tell he hadn't pulled
    Tom very far from the edge. He wrapped his arms around him, curling into
    the soil. 
    
    What felt like hours later, Tom started awake,. "Mmm..." 
    
    "Lay still." 
    
    "Stan..." 
    
    "Yeah. Talk to me, 'kay?" He was starting to feel very clausterphobia.
    He closed his eyes, tight. "Come on. Talk..." 
    
    "'bout what" 
    
    "Anything. Tell me....tell me why you wanted him named Adam." He'd always
    wanted to know that. 
    
    *** 
    
    Joe felt her eyes boring into him, and whirled around. "What?" he demanded,
    staring her down. 
    
    She lowered her eyes, shyly. "Nothing." 
    
    "You've been staring at me fer ten minutes. That's not nothing..." 
    
    She smiled.  "No, it's not."  
    
    He gaped, dumbfounded.  Her father was a vampire.  No, her father was
    a fucking Sabbat vampire.  The kind that killed and ate Ubel demons for
    breakfast and used dead punk DJ's for toothpicks.  She was four days
    old. 
    
    She was drop-dead gorgeous. 
    
    Caine cleared his throat.  "Can we go for a walk?" 
    
    *** 
    
    "...Roy Orbison's 'Pretty Woman' going out to you know who..." 
    
    "Whom," corrected Caine. 
        
    *** 
    
    He exited D'Hoffren's lair, and blinked at the masses suddenly gathered
    around the house. Sabbat. Moloch. Primals. They stared at the babies
    in his arms, and murmured. 
    
    Word spread quick. 
     
    A Moloch pointed at the girl.  "She is the daughter of a Primal Higher!"
    
    Von glared, not about to get into a debate and fairly certain where this
    would lead if he let it go on. 
    
    "I'm taking them to safety.  This is the daughter of our Elder." 
    
    The Sabbat looked surprised, but knew better than to comment in front
    of demons.  They fell in around Von, a motley and dangerous crew.  His
    brain was going at top speed, trying to think of whom they could trust
    in this city to watch the children.  They couldn't do it, they had no
    daywalkers besides their Elder. 
    
    He reviewed all the people he knew, then all the ones Calhoun had mentioned.
    
    It hit him like a bolt out of the blue. 
    
    The Slayer Inspector.  If she remained in the city, perhaps she would
    be willing.  They would guard her and care for her. 
    
    He glanced at the sky, surprised to see that dawn was nearing. 
    
    "Quick!  We've got to reach the Canadian Consulate!" 
    
    ***
    
    Millenia passed before Tom spoke. "I tried to kill myself once..." he
    whispered. 
    
    "I know. The empaths..." 
    
    "No....Before that. When I was with Alex." He sighed, curling his legs
    around Ray's. The prince was marvelously warm.  "I was sitting in the
    park...supposed to be slaying. But I was going to shoot myself...." 
    
    Ray didn't say anything, just stroked Tom's hair back, trying to warm
    him back up.  The shivers started anew.  At least he /could/ shiver again.
    Ray supposed it was a good sign. 
    
    "There was a guy there.  He stopped me...." 
     
    "Lemme guess.  His name was Adam." 
    
    "His middle name, actually.  He listened to me, all my problems.  We
    talked for hours.  That was when I decided to leave Alex.  Two days later
    he broke my nose and Cecil stepped in."  
    "What was he, a priest or somethin'?" 
    
    He felt Tom smile in the darkness.  "No.  He was a punk rocker and worked
    as a mechanic.  He was just a good listener." 
    
    "And a good guy, huh?"  Ray closed his eyes, wishing he could sleep,
    wishing he didn't feel as if the walls were pressing even closer than
    Grissom.  If there hadn't been a faint movement of air from cracks in
    the ice, Ray knew he would have panicked.  He shuddered. 
    
    "Yeah.  Hey, you okay?" 
    
    "I'm claustrophobic, Tom," he said through clenched teeth.  He felt the
    psychic's cold hands reach up, around his neck, holding him tight. 
    
    "James told me.  I'd forgotten.  What can I do?" 
    
    "Nothin'.  I'm supposed ta be takin' care of you, remember?" 
    
    "You are, Stan.  You are."  Tom rested his head against Ray's chest.
    "James loves going underground." 
    
    "Yeah, well, Calhoun's unhinged." 
            
    *** 
    
    Thatcher heard the door to the consolate basement bang open. She'd taken
    shelter there when the city had begun to crumble, taking Buck Frobisher
    with her. It was fairly comfortable set up but they were running low
    on supplies and she knew soon they would have to forage.  No word had
    reached her from any of the other outposts, though the only radio station
    they could get was transmitting from Canada with a rather abrasive disc
    jockey that seemed to have his finger on the pulse of the ongoing events.
    
    She looked up as someone carefully made his way down the stairs.  Stake
    at the ready, Thatcher pulled back into the shadows, Frobisher just behind
    her. 
            
    She started as she saw the two bundles in his arms. 
     
    "Slayer?  Slayer, are you here?  I am Von, second to Calhoun in the endari
    Sabbat clan here in Chicago.  I mean you no harm, Lady." 
    
    "Why are you here?" demanded Thatcher. 
    
    Von seemed relieved that she would talk to him.  "My elder is missing.
    We are trying to find him and in the meantime, I've found his child."
    
    "Sophia?" wondered Buck.  "You found Sophia?" 
    
    "And another child.  A boy.  He's human, but smells of a demon." 
    
    Frobisher and Thatcher stepped into the light by the stairs as Von came
    into the basement.  He glanced up the stairs and hissed something at
    someone up there.  The Slayers relieved him of the warm bundles.  Both
    babies were sleeping. 
    
    "That's Ray Vecchio's son, Ray," stated Buck, glancing at the boy in
    Thatcher's arms.  He smiled at the tiny, black-haired girl.  "and this
    is most definitely Sophia Calhoun." 
    
    Von smirked at the notion of his vicious and rather heartless elder with
    a child. 
    
    "How is she possible?" wondered Meg. 
    
    "Long story.  I'll tell you what I know later," promised the sergeant.
    
    "What do you want of us?" asked Thatcher. 
    
    "Can you care for these two?  We have no daywalkers that can stay with
    them." 
    
    "We're running low on supplies," stated the Inspector. 
    
    Von dismissed her fears.  "We'll care for you and make sure you lack
    for nothing.  My clan will guard Canada." 
    
    "What about the daytime?" Buck asked. 
    
    "If it comes to that, we'll fight and face the consequences later.  Better
    to burn in the sun than to face the wrath of our Elder." 
    
    "Amen," muttered the old man. 
    
    Thatcher was already sold.  "We'll do it, Von.  I'll write a list of
    things we need." 
    
    "I'll tell Mina as well," said the Sabbat.  "We have to go.  It's almost
    dawn.  We'll return tonight." 
    
    "Dawn?" breathed Thatcher.  "The sun is rising?" 
    
    Von smiled.  "Finally." 
    
    ***
    
    They had been lying still for hours, both on the edge of what might have
    been sleep, when Tom spoke up. "How long has it been since you've fed?"
    His voice was quiet and hoarse. Countless nights with James and as a
    Slayer had taught him what to look for in a vampire. How to see if they
    were weak or strong. Ray was hungry. He could feel that. 
    
    Ray struggled to think. "Chicago..." 
    
    "That long?" Tom curled his head against Ray's shoulder, struggling to
    get closer to the warmth. The wool of Fraser's coat was itching at him.
    
    "Been too busy." 
    
    Tom nodded, closing his eyes. "I know. You'd better feed...." 
    
    "On what?" 
    
    Tom lifted his head, peering at Ray strangely. Ray shook his head. "No."
    
    "Ray...." 
    
    "No." He felt Tom's fingers tug at his face, making him look down. "No."
    
    "Ray. Do it.  You're starving." 
    
    Ray shook his head, sniffing inward. He closed Tom's eyes, and tilted
    his head back. "Tell me when to stop," he ordered, not trusting himself
    to know. 
    
    "I will...." 
    
    *** 
    
    Von stood at the broken gates of Hell, staring into what used to be the
    maximum security prison in the greater Chicago area. 
    
    No more. 
    
    He was about to go in when he saw the old man try to slip past him. Grabbing
    Mort by the collar, he stopped him. "Where is he?" 
    
    "Who??" Mort flustered, wide-eyed. 
    
    "You know who." 
    
    "I don't - " 
    
    "You know what I am.  Now where is he, old man?  Before I have you as
    a snack." 
    
    "In there.  In lockdown."
    
    "Did you hurt him?" demanded Von.  He knew Calhoun was alive, but he
    couldn't understand why he couldn't read his elder. 
    
    "N-no!  No, it was the Moloch!" 
    
    "WHAT?" 
    
    "He...he froze him." 
        
    *** 
    
    Tom shivered, feeling Ray's teeth dig deep. Draining. He knew Ray couldn't
    take too much. Not without there being some danger. He tightened his
    grip on Ray's shoulders, ready to push him away if need be. 
    
    He wished he didn't feel so dizzy. "Ray..." 
    
    No answer, just continued draining. His hearing was weirdly amplified
    in the chamber. Did it really sound like that? He blinked rapidly at
    the ceiling. "Ray." Still nothing. "Stan, stop...." 
    
    He should've taken into acount the time it had been since Ray had fed.
    He felt stupid. Very dumb. Shoving at Ray's shoulders, he struggled to
    push the vampire off him. 
    
    Nothing. 
    
    *** 
    
    It felt like years before he was finally able to stop feeding. He stared
    down at Tom, blinking. Had he passed out? He looked so pale. "Oh fuck...."
    He felt for a pulse, and found it. It was so weak. 
    
    He never should've agreed to this. Never. He pressed his head against
    Tom's chest, listening for the heart beat. Rapid. How could that be?
    Was his body trying to compensate for the blood loss? What was he supposed
    to do? 
    
    Instinctively, he tore at his own wrist with fangs, pressing the blood
    wrist to Tom's lips. "Come on...." 
    
    *** 
    
    Between the three of them, they were able to erect a feasible shelter.
    Fraser directed them - it wouldn't last long, just enough for the day.
    They wouldn't be here come the following day.  They would have to work
    their way back to Wyrm's city. 
    
    They watched the sun, glorious and bright, blinding them as it reflected
    off the snow. 
        
    And started when they heard the barking of dogs. 
    
    Suddenly Diefenbaker, a wolf once again in his excitement, came running
    towards them across the snow.  He leaped at Fraser and the Mountie rolled
    in the snow with his friend. 
    
    Vecchio looked up at the approaching sled.  Turnbull. 
    
    He was, quite possibly, the best thing Ray Vecchio  had ever seen. 
    
    *** 
    
    Strange.  He felt strange.  He forced blood on Tom, not sure if the poison
    that had affected Adolph and Lilith would do the same thing to a Primal
    Higher, but if he did nothing, Tom would die.  Why, why had he agreed?
    
    Cal was going to kill him. 
    
    But he still felt strange.  A stirring.  Like the time he'd turned human
    again.  He felt chilly, too the first time in ages. 
    
    A Primal Higher.  He'd dined on a Higher.  D'Hoffern didn't count.  He
    hadn't been able to swallow and Ray didn't eat anything blue anyway.
    Boiling blue blood?  Yuck.  Tom, however... 
    
    Shit.  Never thought he'd be here.  Never thought that day at the 13th
    would lead to Armageddon and sitting in an ice cave freezing his ass
    off after he just freakin' drank Grissom's blood. 
    
    Fate had a twisted sense of humor. 
    
    Tom stirred, and Ray sighed in relief.  Never again.  He would never
    again do this to a friend. 
    
    He pulled the coat tight around Tom, sat back in the cave and shivered.
    He stared at the walls, feeling his heart beat faster in his fear. 
    
    His heart? 
    
    *** 
    
    Von stared at his Elder speechlessly.  He had no words for the way he
    felt.  Freaky might do for a start. 
    
    He circled the figure.  A few patches of less frozen flesh showed, but
    Calhoun was still basically a block of ice.  He touched a frosted hand
    and felt his fingers start to freeze.  Damn.  There would be no moving
    him for a long time. 
    
    If nothing else, thought Von a little hysterically, he'd make a nice
    fountain. 
    
    A Moloch, a half-breed like Tom Grissom, had been consigned to watch
    over the ice figure. According to her, she had been assigned to guard
    him by Grissom, who, apparently, considered himself a Primal Higher.
    He turned to the cat girl, and asked: "Tom Grissom did this?" He knew
    he sounded gruff. He didn't care. As far as he was concerned, and he
    knew he could speak for the Sabbat clan, Grissom was nothing more than
    a consort. His elder's consort, true, and parent of their child, but
    a mere consort nonetheless.  And if he had done this.... 
    
    She nodded, slowly. "He didn't mean to....it was an accident." 
    
    "An accident?" He stared her down, enjoying watching her squirm. He looked
    back at his Elder. "An accident?" 
    
    "He was gifted by the Spiritus Sanctii, he said, and didn't understand
    what that meant." 
    
    "Until he froze my elder.  Brillaint." 
        
    *** 
    
    It was almost night when they heard the digging. It was coming from underneath
    the earth. Turnbull looked down, staring as a gloved hand and a ringed
    hand fought for purchase. 
    
    Dropping to their knees, the Seeker and the Slayer born and bred dug,
    and they dug fast. 
    
    "What the-?" asked Zuko, thinking the two men insane. 
    
    "Help us!" ordered Turnbull. 
    
    The Giovanni shrugged and leant them a hand.  Very soon a familiar head
    of green hair emerged, followed quickly by a head of black hair and Fraser
    and Turnbull pulled the Caanite and the Seer out of the ice. 
    
    It seemed the two men had reversed roles. 
    
    Ray staggered against Fraser, shivering and aching from the cold.  The
    heat he had been generating since his transformation was gone, leaving
    him vulnerable once again to the elements.  Ray Vecchio ran to the sled
    and fetched a blanket, wrapping the younger man warmly before Fraser
    pulled him back into his protective embrace. 
    
    Tom seemed the picture of health and completely unaffected by the Arctic
    weather.  Indeed, he seemed revitalized and had trouble keeping still
    long enough to talk. 
    
    "What happened?" breathed Fraser, close to Ray's ear. 
    
    Icey lips brushed his neck as Ray replied, "I have a heartbeat." 
    
    Fraser stiffened, shocked, then held Ray out at arm's length.  "What?"
    
    He was trembling now, barely able to speak.  "I-I have a heartbeat."
    
    He looked at Turnbull.  The Seeker was likewise stunned by this news
    and turned to the Moloch. 
    
    "Tom?" 
    
    "My blood in him, his blood in me," said Tom.  "He was starving, I let
    him feed, he took too much, he said, and fed me himself.  When I woke
    up again, he couldn't get us out and we started digging." 
    
    Fraser was rubbing Ray's back, trying to warm him.  Dief was likewise
    hugging his other human and Ray mussed his hair affectionately, too tired
    and cold and hungry to give much thought to what had happened or what
    he had become. 
    
    "Let's go home," whispered Fraser. 
    
    


End file.
